1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a game apparatus, and more particularly, to an indoor baseball game apparatus which closely simulates the actual game of baseball.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Baseball game apparatus of the type wherein a ball is propelled across a playing board toward a batting mechanism is known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,276,457, entitled "BASEBALL GAME APPARATUS" and issued to the inventor of the present invention, discloses an apparatus wherein a ball is propelled across the playing board from a pitching mechanism toward a batting mechanism. However, the degree to which such an apparatus can simulate actual baseball is limited since the ball is rolled across the playing board rather than being pitched into the air.
Baseball game apparatus of the type wherein a pitching mechanism pitches the ball in a lofted trajectory above the game board is also known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,534,468 and 3,834,703 each disclose baseball game apparatus including a pitching mechanism having a rotatable pitching arm for propelling the ball through the air in the direction of the batter. The pitching mechanism disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,534,468 is secured in a fixed position upon the playing board, and hence the direction in which the ball is pitched may not be varied. The pitching mechanism disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,703 includes a positioning rod used to stabilize the pitching mechanism and to control the degree of tilt of the pitching mechanism, thereby controlling the arc of the pitched ball. The positioning rod is also used to control the direction of the pitched ball. In addition to the positioning rod, a pressure rod must alsobe operated by a participant in order to actuate a release rod for propelling the ball toward the batter. Controlling the disclosed pitching mechanism is somewhat complex and inconvenient because a participant must use both of his hands to operate the pitching mechanism. Moreover, the positioning rod and release rod extend over a substantial length of the playing board and can interfere with batted balls as well as detract from the appearance of the playing board.
In addition, none of the above described prior art pitching mechanisms is adapted to accommodate participants having varying levels of skill. Prior art pitching mechanisms having relatively simple controls are easily operated by a beginner but lack the sophistication desired by an experienced player. On the other hand, pitching mechanisms having more complex controls often confuse the beginner and detract from enjoyment of the game.
In the actual game of baseball, an umpire is positioned behind home plate for determining, in cases where the batter does not swing at a pitched ball, whether the pitched ball counts as a ball or a strike against the batter. A pitched ball counts as a strike if it passes over home plate while passing above the batter's knees and below his shoulders, i.e., through the strike zone. In order to simulate the actual game of baseball, it is desirable for a baseball game apparatus to include a mechanism for distinguishing balls from strikes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,703, a baseball game apparatus is disclosed wherein a catching device establishes a strike zone by retaining only those pitched balls that have passed within the hitting range of the batter. However, pitched balls which barely miss passing through the hitting zone of the batter tend to impact the top, bottom, and side portions of the disclosed catching device; in such instances, the ball is likely to rebound back into fair territory on the playing board and be mistaken for a battered ball if the batter swings at the ball and misses it. In addition, the disclosed catching device tends to be relatively large and detracts from the appearance of the apparatus. Further, the disclosed catching device poses an inconvenience to the participant responsible for retrieving pitched balls since the point from which a pitched ball must be retrieved depends upon whether or not it has passed through the strike zone and hence, whether or not it has been retained by the catching device.
In prior art baseball game apparatus, the batting mechanism typically includes a rotatable batting member and a spring or similar biasing means for causing the batting member to rotate after it has been released from a cocked position. Thus, releasing the batting member from its cocked position results in a full swing at the pitched ball. In the actual game of baseball, however, a batter may hit the ball by holding the bat relatively motionless above home plate in order to bunt the ball into the infield. Known baseball game apparatus do not conveniently allow participants to bunt a pitched ball and therefore fail to simulate this aspect of the actual game of baseball.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a baseball game apparatus having a pitching mechanism for pitching the ball in a lofted trajectory above the playing board and wherein the speed and direction of the pitched ball may easily be controlled.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a baseball game apparatus having a pitching mechanism which conveniently accommodates participants having widely different levels of skill.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a baseball game apparatus having a pitching mechanism for pitching a ball in a lofted trajectory above the playing board wherein the characteristics of the pitching mechanism can be quickly and conveniently altered to simulate the different pitching styles of a number of different pitchers on a baseball team.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a baseball game apparatus having a pitching mechanism for pitching a ball in a lofted trajectory and a batting mechanism for hitting pitched ball and including a mechanism for indicating whether pitched balls have passed through the batter's strike zone while directing both balls and strikes to a common retrieval point.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a basbeall game apparatus having a rotatable batting member adapted to hit a pitched ball with a full swing and including a mechanism for selectively causing the batting member to bunt a pitched ball rather than hitting the pitched ball with a full swing.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds.